Method and apparatus for lifting and supporting structures

ABSTRACT

A method of lifting and supporting structures, such as buildings or the like, which includes the steps of exposing the base of the structure; attaching a shoe to the base of the structure and then attaching a driving assembly to the shoe whereby the assembly may be utilized to successively and individually drive piers beneath the structure. After the piers are driven a separate pier plate unit is fitted over the end of each of the piers, which piers have been cut off at ground level. Once in place, the pier plate unit is used to support lifting means which operate between the pier plate unit and the structure to lift the structure to the desired position. After the structure has reached this position permanent, adjustable supporting means are placed between the pier plate unit and the structure whereby to retain the structure in the desired position. The apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method includes the shoe which is attached to the structure; a pier driving assembly which is carried by the shoe; a pier which is driven by the driving assembly to a point beneath the structure; a pier plate unit which is fitted over the upper end of the pier after it has been driven and its upper end cut off at ground level; lifting means which is supported by the pier plate unit; and permanent supporting means which are finally positioned between the pier plate unit and the structure for permanently supporting the structure in its desired position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This method and apparatus relates to a system designed to lift andsupport structures, particularly buildings and the like which may havesettled from their original desired position and need to be righted orleveled whereby to cure structural defects which may have occurred as aresult of settlement of the structure. The method and apparatus permitsthe structure to be lifted to a desired position and to be supported insuch position by a plurality of piers which have been driven beneath thestructure whereby the load of the structure is carried on top of aplurality of individually driven piers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists of a method and apparatus utilized to lift andsupport structures which may have settled from their original position,the method being very simple and straight forward in operation and veryeconomical. The method is readily accomplished by relatively simpleequipment which is portable and may be moved into position by twopersons. There is no need for heavy trucks or equipment which damage theproperty adjacent the structure and confined areas are accessible forutilization of the system.

The method involves driving, individually and one at a time, piersbeneath the structure, the piers being driven to bedrock or to ameasured design load strength, the piers preferably being of a millrolled galvanized steel.

An advantage of the system is that the piers are individually drivenand, after the piers have been put in place, a lifting means, which isplaced atop a pier plate unit which has been fitted over the top end ofthe pier, may be utilized to lift the structure and then permanentsupporting means are adjustably positioned between the pier plate unitand the structure and left in position whereby to permanently supportthe structure in its desired position.

The system overcomes shortcomings of prior art systems such as thosedisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,796,055, issued Mar. 12, 1974 and3,902,326, issued Sept. 2, 1975.

The advantages are gained by individual driving of the multiple piersnormally required to ultimately support the structure and utilization ofthe pier plate unit which may be immediately positioned atop the pierand which does not require the pouring of concrete and waiting time, allto the end that the present system may be quickly, readily andeconomically utilized to lift a structure and to support the structurepermanently in its desired position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists of a method and apparatus for lifting andsupporting structures which apparatus includes a shoe which is attachedto the structure to be lifted and which shoe received a pier drivingassembly whereby a plurality of piers may be individually driven beneaththe structure; there being a pier plate unit which is fitted over thetop of each driven pier and then utilized to support lifting means whichspan the opening between the pier plate unit and the structure wherebythe structure may be lifted to its ultimate desired position, therebeing permanent supporting means which are positioned between the pierplate unit and the structure for permanently retaining the structure inits desired position.

The method is carried out by exposing the base of the structure;attaching a shoe to the base; connecting a pier driving assembly to theshoe and then using the assembly to drive a pier and ultimately multiplepiers beneath the structure. The piers are successively and individuallydriven and, once all have been driven, the upper ends, above the ground,are cut off and a pier plate unit is placed over the top end of eachdriven pier. The pier plate unit is then driven onto the top of the pierand lifting means are placed on the pier plate unit and between thestructure whereby the lifting means may be utilized to raise thestructure to its desired position. Once raised, the structure isretained in its permanent position by supporting means which areadjustably positioned between the pier plate unit and the structure andwhich are adjusted to support the structure in its desired and permanentposition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a structure to belifted and supported and showing the shoe in place on the base of thestructure;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the shoe attachedto the structure base;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the driving assembly;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view, comparable to FIG. 1, and showingthe driving assembly in position with respect to the structure andpreparatory to driving a pier;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a pier driving assemblywhich is provided with means for loading additional weight thereon toassist in driving the pier;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view showing the pier driving assembly asit is conventionally used to extend the pier beneath the structure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the pier plate unit;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view showing the driven pier with itsupper, above ground end cut off and with the pier plate unit placed inthe space between the top end of the pier and the structure andpreparatory to being driven atop the pier;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view comparable to FIG. 8 but showing thepier plate unit atop its pier;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view showing the lifting means in positionatop the pier plate unit and in the opening between the pier plate unitand the structure;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view showing the structure lifted by thelifting unit;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view showing the structure lifted and withthe permanent supporting means extending between the top of the pierplate unit and the structure; and

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view showing the permanent supportingmeans in their final position and supporting the structure in itsdesired permanent position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The method and apparatus hereinafter described in detail is intended foruse in lifting and supporting a structure in the nature of a building10, which building may be a residential or commercial building or, forthat matter, any other structure which needs to be lifted and thenpermanently supported in a fixed and desired position.

A building such as 10 is normally provided with a footing or base 12which is conventionally in the form of a poured concrete footinggenerally T-shaped in cross-sectional configuration whereby to presentthe normally vertical wall 14 of the structure 10 and laterallyextending legs such as 16. The footing or base 12 is normally belowground level making it necessary to excavate earth 18 below the normalground level 20 to gain access to the base 12.

In accomplishing the method of the present system, an excavation accessarea 22 is dug in the earth 18 surrounding the structure 10 wherebyaccess may be gained to the lowermost edge of the footing or base 12.Such an excavation as 22 would be made at multiple locations along thebase 12 of the structure 10 whereby to ultimately permit the placementof a plurality of piers adjacent the base 12 of structure 10.

Once an excavation such as 22 has been made to gain access to the base12, a portion of the base 12 is broken away as at 24 to permit a shoe 26to be attached to the base 12 as shown best in FIG. 2 of the drawing.Note that the shoe 26 has a seat portion 28 which is disposed beneaththe base 12 in supporting relationship thereto and has a vertical wallor portion 30 which is against the exterior surface of the wall 14 andis attached thereto as by bolts 32.

Once the shoe 26 has been attached to the base 12 as described, a pierdriving assembly, broadly designated as 34, is attached to the shoe 26as by aligning a plurality of holes 36 in the pier driving assembly 34with corresponding holes 38 in outwardly extending wings 40 of the shoe26. The pier driving assembly consists of a pair of spaced apartupstanding plates 42 and, at the base end thereof, has inner plates 44which cooperate with the outer plates 42 to straddle the wings 40 of theshoe 26 and thereby reinforce the attachment between the pier drivingassembly 34 and the shoe 26.

Once the pier driving assembly 34 has been attached to the shoe 26, adrive cylinder 46 is placed in position on driving assembly 34 as byslipping the base of the cylinder 46 between two holding brackets 48which are at the normally uppermost end of the assembly 34.

The cylinder 46 is a double acting piston and cylinder arrangement whichdrives a ram 50 which ram 50 extends downwardly therefrom as best shownin FIG. 4 whereby to engage the normally uppermost end of a pier 52. Apair of sleeves 54 coupled with the driving assembly 34 as throughsleeve holders 56 serve to embrace the pier 52 and retain the same inthe desired upright position as it is being driven.

It will be appreciated that the driving assembly 34 may be additionallyattached to the structure as by utilizing tabs 58 and driving attachingmeans through openings provided therein and into the structure 10.

As shown in FIG. 6 of the drawing, the driving assembly 34 and ram 50 ofdrive cylinder 46 are used to drive the pier 52 into the earth 18 whichsurrounds the structure 10. The pier is pushed downwardly by the ram 50,operated by cylinder 46, until such time as the pier "bottoms out"either by striking bedrock or by being driven to its designed limits.The pier 52 is a compression pier, not a friction pier, and is driveninto the earth until such time as it strikes rock or the maximumcompression permitted by its design characteristics have been reached.

Once a pier such as 52 has been driven, additional piers are drivensurrounding the structure 10. It is to be noted that the piers such as52 are successively and individually driven and are not simultaneouslydriven, whereby each pier is individually placed in its maximumposition. Such successive and individual driving of the pier such as 52may be accomplished by placing a driving assembly such as 34 at a firstlocation on the structure 10 and then subsequently moving it toadditional locations or driving assemblies such as 34 may be placed atmultiple locations about the structure and then successively used todrive the individual piers.

Once a pier such as 52 has been driven to its maximum depth and theremaining piers driven, as described above, there are a multitude ofpiers positioned at maximum locations about the structure. If resistanceis encountered in driving the individual piers, a supplemental assembly,such as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing, may be utilized to placeadditional weight on the pier as it is being driven. This supplementalassembly consists of a pair of wings 59 which are connected to the pierdriving assembly 34 and then loaded with metal plates such as 60 wherebyto supplement the weight which is normally placed on the drivingassembly, it being noted that, since the assembly is connected to thestructure at multiple locations, as through the shoe 26 and the brackets58, a rather substantial load is placed on the pier 52 as it is drivento thereby supplement the pushing driving action accomplished by the ram50.

Viewing FIG. 8 of the drawing, it is seen that when the pier 52 has beenfully driven, the uppermost end 62 is cut off at ground level, groundlevel in this instance being as at 64 which is the bottom of the accessarea 22 which has been dug beneath the normal ground level 20 to gainaccess to the base 12 of the structure 10.

Once the pier top has been cut off to present the uppermost end 62,there is presented a space 66 between the top 62 of the pier 52 and thestructure 10 and more particularly the seat 28 of the shoe 26. Thisspace may be reached by going between the plates 42 of the driveassembly 34.

Accordingly, a pier plate unit, best shown in FIG. 7 in perspective anddesignated by the numeral 68 is inserted into the space 66 andpositioned in overlying relationship to the top 62 of the pier 52.

Once the pier plate unit is in such position, the ram 50 is thenutilized to force the pier plate unit downwardly whereby a tube portion70 of the pier plate unit is fitted over the uppermost end 62 of thepier 52 as is clearly shown in FIG. 9 of the drawing.

Pier plate unit 68 is provided with a number of downwardly extendingfins 72 which enter the earth, as shown in FIG. 9 whereby to stabilizethe pier plate unit atop pier 52 and prevent shifting movement thereof.The fins 72 all depend from a top, horizontal wall 74 of the pier plateunit 68, which top wall 74 is in a horizontal position when the pierplate unit 68 has been driven atop the pier 52, all as is best shown inFIG. 9 of the drawing.

Once the pier plate unit is so positioned, there is presented an opening76 between the top wall 74 of the pier plate unit 68 and the bottom ofthe shoe 26. More specifically, this opening is between the uppersurface of top wall 74 of the pier plate unit 68; a block 78 which is apart of the shoe 26 and seat 28; the block being in horizontalrelationship and preferably parallel to the top wall 74 of the pierplate unit 68, as best shown in FIG. 10 of the drawing.

Since the drive assembly 34 is normally removed after the pier plateunit 68 has been driven over the top of pier 52, access may be had tothe opening 76 between the top 74 the block 78, and the seat 28 asdescribed above, whereby to place lifting means in said opening 76 asshown for instance in FIGS. 10 and 12.

The lifting means is in the form of a hydraulic ram or jack 80 which hasits bottom resting on the top wall 74 of pier plate unit 68.

As is apparent from FIG. 10 of the drawing, activation of the jack orram 80 will serve to lift the structure inasmuch as the ram 80 issupported by the pier, which has been driven deep into the groundbeneath the structure and is provided with a substantial base by thepier plate unit 68 which has been driven atop the pier 52.

Accordingly, the structure may be raised and lifted to its desired,normally level position by utilization of the jack 80.

Once the structure has been lifted and leveled, a plurality of permanentsupporting means is utilized to fill the opening 76 and therebypermanently support the structure in its desired position.

The permanent supporting means are broadly designated by the numeral 82,are best shown in FIGS. 10, 12 and 13, and consist of a plurality ofthreaded studs 84 each having a collar 86 thereon whereby the collarsmay be adjusted to the desired position. The desired position is to havethe collars engaging the upper or top wall 74 of the pier plate unit 68.The studs themselves are a part of the lifting unit which has beeninserted in the opening 76.

Thus, the lifting means which is inserted in the opening, consists ofthe ram or jack 80, which supports a plate 88, which plate engages theblock 78 and seat 28 of the shoe 26. The studs 84 are carried by theplate 88 and the collars 86 are adjustably threaded on the studs 84whereby the collars may be lowered and brought into engagement with thepier plate unit.

Once the collars have been so adjusted, it will be appreciated that fullsupport is provided between the pier plate unit and the structurewhereby the structure is retained and supported permanently in itsdesired position. The ram or jack may be removed or, in the alternative,may be left in position to continue its supporting function on apermanent basis.

Even further, the permanent supporting assembly, as best shown in FIG.13, may be ultimately welded in position, if desired, whereby to insureits position and stability as means for permanently supporting thestructure in its desired position.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement described above may be usedat multiple positions about the base of the structure 10 whereby to liftthe structure until such time as it is in a lifted and normally levelposition and then retain the structure in this desired and permanentposition. Manifestly, as many piers as are necessary may be driven andeach would have a corresonding pier plate unit and lifting and permanentsupporting means carried thereby all as described above, whereby thestructure could be lifted into its desired position and permanentlysupported in such position

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for lifting and supporting a building structure having a base comprising:a vertically positioned pier driven in the ground adjacent the building structure and having an upper end proximal to the base of the building structure; a pier plate unit fitted over the upper end of the driven pier; a shoe attached to the base of the structure, said shoe being in spaced, overlying relationship to the pier plate unit; temporary lifting means between the pier plate unit and the shoe for initially lifting the shoe and therefore the structure; and permanent supporting means finally positioned between the pier plate unit and the structure for supporting the structure in its final desired position.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said shoe havinga horizontal seat and a vertical wall, the seat being beneath the base of the structure, the vertical wall being attached to the base of the structure; and a pair of spaced-apart, generally triangular wings supporting the shoe, attached thereto and extending downwardly therefrom toward the pier plate unit.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the lifting means being positioned between the spaced-apart wings, the shoe and the pier plate unit.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, the pier plate unit having a top wall, the seat of the shoe being parallel to said top wall, the lifting means acting upon said top wall and said seat when activated.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, the pier plate unit including a plurality of downwardly extending fins for insertion in the ground when the pier plate unit is fitted over the top of the pier to stabilize the pier and the pier plate unit.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, there being a pair of gusset plates carried by the top wall of the pier plate unit, corresponding to said wings and in engagement therewith for stabilizing the wings and the shoe as the lifting means are activated to lift the shoe and the structure.
 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, the pier being perpendicular to said pier plate unit at substantially the central portion thereof. 